diff --git a/po-properties/Makefile.in.in b/po-properties/Makefile.in.in
index 886b60aa08..c168dc22ca 100644
--- a/po-properties/Makefile.in.in
+++ b/po-properties/Makefile.in.in
@@ -184,7 +184,7 @@ maintainer-clean: distclean
 	rm -f $(GMOFILES)
 
 distdir = ../$(GETTEXT_PACKAGE)-$(VERSION)/$(subdir)
-dist distdir: update-po $(DISTFILES)
+dist distdir: $(DISTFILES)
 	dists="$(DISTFILES)"; \
 	for file in $$dists; do \
 	  ln $(srcdir)/$$file $(distdir) 2> /dev/null \
diff --git a/po/Makefile.in.in b/po/Makefile.in.in
index 5e2944eed6..4e8ada3ff9 100644
--- a/po/Makefile.in.in
+++ b/po/Makefile.in.in
@@ -203,7 +203,7 @@ maintainer-clean: distclean
 	rm -f $(GMOFILES)
 
 distdir = ../$(GETTEXT_PACKAGE)-$(VERSION)/$(subdir)
-dist distdir: update-po $(DISTFILES)
+dist distdir: $(DISTFILES)
 	dists="$(DISTFILES)"; \
 	for file in $$dists; do \
 	  ln $(srcdir)/$$file $(distdir) 2> /dev/null \